Breaking down the editor's top 10

FROM THE EDITOR:

As I looked over the newsroom's ballot for the top local stories of the year, I found myself thinking over and over, “That happened this year?”

Now that we have published our full newsroom and online reader top 10 lists, it's time for me to show my picks for the top 10 local stories of the year.

1. Aberdeen experienced the third snowiest winter on record with 79.3 inches.

2. Spring flooding closed U.S. Highway 12 near Roscoe and N.D. Highway 11 between Ellendale and Oakes. Severe flooding in the Waubay and Claremont areas.

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The top two stories were no-brainers. In a region and economy so dependent on the weather, you can't have a record-breaking snowfall and not expect it to be at the top of the ballot. I only listed the flooding - not to be confused with the Missouri River flooding - at No. 2 because of the cause-and-effect of the snowfall. Our newsroom voted flooding No. 1 and snow No. 3.

3. Aberdeen mail-sorting operations move to Huron, resulting in the loss of 10 local jobs, or three employees. Aberdeen's downtown post office eventually closed.

My No. 3 story landed at No. 9 on the newsroom ballot; it's a story that I think will have a major effect on how South Dakotans do business for years to come.

4. Former Aberdeen resident Christina Harms found dead in Utah; caregivers charged in her death.

The newsroom and I agreed on this tragic story at No. 4. Readers at aberdeennews.com selected this as their top story of the year.

5. Delta Airlines switches to jet service in Aberdeen, then drops some Aberdeen flights. SkyWest will be Aberdeen's new carrier.

6. Local landmark Craven Corner burns down. No cause of the fire has been determined.

These are classic local news stories, and both deserve to be on the list for different reasons. Reliable airline service is a great concern to local civic and business leaders, and is an issue to watch in 2012. The destruction of Craven Corner is the end of an era.

7. Presentation College plays its inaugural football season.

I usually try to find space for one sports story on my ballot, when appropriate. The PC football program launch is historic and will have longterm effects for the college and the city. I chose this over NSU's upset over Butler in men's basketball and Logan Storley's amazing wrestling.

8. Northview Mobile Manor mobile home park closes, meaning many people had to find new homes.

9. Two volunteer firefighters killed in explosion at the Sunset Hutterite Colony near Britton.

These two heart-wrenching tales drew a lot of readers in; they both were highly read and had lots of comments on aberdeennews.com.

If I had to go back and change a vote, No. 9 might be the one. I had the firefighters story ranked much lower than the newsroom and our readers did, both putting it at No. 5. You all had this story right.

10. Deputy state's attorney Brandon Taliaferro is fired; authorities seize items from Taliaferro and family and children advocate Shirley Schwab.

My No. 10 choice might have been in my mind because the story is recent and developing. I could have just as easily picked the death of Brown County Fair manager Larry Gerlach; the 452nd S.D. National Guard returning home; or another year without the opening of the Northern Beef Packers plant. Those all made it to my final list of choices, and all were worthy of votes.

Of course, I could also have chosen Gov. Dennis Daugaard's budget cuts and aftermath. I skipped the story that our newsroom (No. 2) and readers (No. 7) thought was one of the most important stories of the year.

I'd still argue for other stories ahead of that one. But that's what makes the voting so interesting.